Revelations
by Sally B. Mcgill
Summary: A story after Hong Kong Longs about Jonathan realizing exactly what dangers and risk lie in Jake's job as the American Dragon.


**Hey, so I was watching the last episode of American Dragon: Jake Long and I just wanted to do my own version of how things would be between Jonathan, Jake and the rest of the people in the know. Hope you like, this is my first attempt at an ADJL fanfic.**

Revelations

...

Jonathan was a typical father and person to most people. He knew how the world worked in general: magical creatures don't exist, things like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were bedtime stories, and there was no such thing as a talking dog or a fire-breathing dragon. And for almost thirty years he had lived with that knowledge, confident that nothing and nobody on this earth would ever refute that.

That all changed when they had visited Hong Kong a few months back and had learned one of the biggest secrets in his whole lifetime.

Finding out he had married into a family of magical dragons that also had human forms was not what he had expected to discover on that trip. Neither the fact that his teenaged son was the sole protector of the supernatural world, and New York City by extension. But like he had reassured his son, he could and would accept this newfound truth, because a part of him had always suspected there was something special happening within his family.

After they had said their goodbyes to the relatives (and had eavesdropped on his son's passionate farewell to his little blonde girlfriend that had helped saved them all), they had flown back to New York and things had went back to normal. Well, not quite normal.

For one thing, now that he was in on the secret, both Jake and his father-in-law made sure to alert him of when he had to go do dragon training rather than complete any homework or chores, as well as a rundown of dragon habits and tendencies. Secondly, whenever Jake was to be late because of his role as protector, he made sure to send a text about his whereabouts and the possibility of tardiness. He also was happy to have a plausible explanation for certain actions, like why they needed to grocery shop three times a week or why Jake would oversleep most days. It can't be easy living a normal life as well as dealing with a huge metabolism and an almost nocturnal lifestyle his job entailed.

It was also nice to have an explanation about previous uncertainties he had always wondered about.

"So, the Boy Scout trapping?"

"Evil clone out to destroy me. Don't ask."

"Haley's acting out?"

"A little troll bent on controlling kids and making them commit many acts of mayhem and destruction."

"The bear on our camping trip?"

"Jersey Devil. If you want, you can visit the creatures you saved, they kinda worship you like a god now."

Then there was the mandatory presentation he had to sit through about magical creatures in general and his son's role in the whole matter. That his little "Jake-a-roni" had fought many deadly enemies to protects fairies, pixies and other likewise things.

"The Huntsclan used to be our biggest worry," Jake had solemnly explained to him, "But Rose took care of them on Homecoming night. The Dark Dragon was our number one enemy, but thanks to our trip to Hong Kong, he won't be an issue unless he can somehow survive a thousand years without food or water or even sunlight."

Honestly the whole thing was a bit overwhelming at times for Jonathan, but he did his best to keep up. After all, this was about his family. And nothing was more important than understanding and helping them anyway he could. However, he had always gotten the slight impression that they were leaving out a lot more than they were sharing. He'd also notice a hint of apprehension and caution to these talks, but he had always chalked it up to a lifetime of keeping their existence a secret and the worry of freaking him out by revealing too much too soon. Jonathan could appreciate that, the time and chance to get on the same page as everyone else.

But honestly, the whole thing seemed less and less of a real thing now that he didn't have to see any action himself. That Battle with the Dark Dragon seemed like such a far away thing, like a dream, it was easy to forget that it was a life-or-death situation that could have ended with all their deaths. And when you think of the world as full of Santa Claus, magical creatures and other happy myths, you couldn't really see the downside of being a part of it.

Really, things didn't register as serious for him until the day his son had been missing for three days.

...

It was a late Monday night. Or a very early Tuesday morning, if you were being technical. Jonathan had been making himself a night snack, having been unable to sleep for the past few days. Not since his son had been missing without a trace.

His father-in-law had explained that Jake had separated from him to check out a rumor from some leprechaun friend of his, which had been back up by the Oracle twins, or whoever, about some misuse of Huntsclan technology. Jake and his grandpa had been working nonstop lately, trying to keep a steady growing population of magical creatures content and safely in the shadows, so Jake had insisted he go it alone, as he had many times before.

Jonathan had taken his cues from everyone else. When Jake hadn't shown up that Friday night, he hadn't worried. When he hadn't shown up at all on Saturday, he'd been anxious but calm. Sunday is when he and everyone else were viciously worried. They spent that Sunday and yesterday on the lookout for Jake, but to no prevail. It was like he had vanished.

Trixie, Spud, the dog, his daughter and father-in-law were still out there now, looking for any hint or clue to his son's whereabouts. Susan had long since gone to sleep, having been unable to stay up with him. And all Jonathan could do was wait with his stinging thoughts.

It had never been like this before. He would have noticed if there had been a panic or a situation even remotely close to this. The newness of the worry that suffocated him confirmed as much to him. And he couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to cause this situation. What was a big enough obstacle or hindrance that would lead to his son's disappearance?

Jonathan was abruptly shaken from his thoughts by the muffled sound of something hitting the floor upstairs. Whatever it was, it was big and making lots of sounds without making any effort to mask it. Jonathan felt a stab of fear at the realization that whatever had invaded his home wasn't worried about getting caught.

Could it be a magical creature perhaps? Or maybe some enemy of Jake's that he and his father-in-law had forgotten to mention? Whatever it was, it was slowly maneuvering them-self down his hallway, carelessly bumping into a few pieces of furniture, before he could hear them entering the room on the far right. Jake's room.

Mind blank after that truth and aware he was basically on his own, Jonathan quickly picked up a golf club and inched his way up, until he was just outside the room door. He could clearly hear the sound of things being rummaged and removed. Taking a deep breath in preparation of his attack, he moved as quickly as he could inside the room.

"Yahhh!" It was seconds before he was about to land a hit that he recognized what it was. Who it was. "Jake?"

And it was indeed his son in his dragon form, which was covered in dirt and looked worse for wear. Not even a few minutes after he was discovered did Jake transform back into his human form which was dressed in a white, short sleeve shirt and jeans that didn't hide the multiple bruises on his arms and leg or the black eye he had on the right side of his face.

"Jake!" Jonathan dropped the club as he fell to his son's side, hands hovering over him as he was unsure where he could touch his son without actually hurting him. "Are you okay? You look like you've gone five rounds with the Hulk or something."

His son coughed from his position on the floor, his voice raspy as he corrected, "Nine rounds. And it… was ogres." The dad couldn't help but gasp as he watched his son attempt to sit up and groaning like he it was hard to even breathe right. "Where's Gramps? I have to tell him—"

And that's when fatherly instincts kicked in. "You're grandfather is out looking for you and can wait. Right now you need to get to bed and heal."

Jake shook his head quite insistently, voice still raspy but the panic in them still clear. "No, dad, you don't understand. The ogres aren't just hoarding Huntsclan weapon and using them wrongly, they're planning to take over the magical world and then the human world. I managed to take down most of their forces and destroy their base of operation but we have to go back now if we want to make sure they're done for good."

At this point his son had finally managed to sit up but was hunched over and breathing like he just run a marathon. Jonathan could only gape at the burns he could see around his son's wrists and ankle as well as the few he could see on his stomach when his shirt rode up. "What happened to you? Did ogres really do all this?"

Jake grimaced. "Yeah. They managed to weaponize sphinx hair, which is a dragon's main weakness. They got the drop on me, but I think they were actually expecting Gramps to come instead. But its okay, if you give me a few minutes, my healing factor should kick in soon."

"Healing factor?"

"Yeah. If I didn't have it, I'd have a lot more bruises and broken bones in the morning and we would have probably had no choice but to tell you the truth unless we wanted you to start thinking Gramps was smacking me around when your back is turned."

"What can I do?" The dad asked somewhat helplessly as he watched his son struggle to catch his breath. Jake shook his head, looking like it was taking all his strength not to fall unconscious in the middle of the current conversation. "I just need to sleep. I'll be fine afterwards, I promise, dad."

Jonathan gulped at how weak his son's voice was, but determinedly moved to help him to his feet. "Okay, let's get you to bed, then."

He half-dragged, half-carried his son to the bed, tucking the sheet up to his chin and making sure his pillow was fluff and comfortable. Jake gave him a wan smile, eyes drooping. "I'll be fine, dad. Thanks." And then he was out cold, leaving the man in the room with his thoughts.

…

By the time everyone made it back from their search through the city, Jonathan had finished making soup for when Jake woke up and was sitting quietly in the kitchen, sipping hot chocolate. He had informed Susan of Jake's return and she had rushed to Jake's side and hasn't left him since. He left a mug for her and his son on the dresser, but he wasn't sure she heard him when he explained that to her.

He didn't really remember informing everyone else. It was all a daze as his mind worked overtime to process exactly what Jake's job required. He knew it wasn't all fairy tales and magic, but he hadn't thought his son's wellbeing and/or life had been at stake.

Even in Hong Kong, when he and his girlfriend had almost been trapped in some other dimension that would appear a thousand years later, it hadn't seemed as serious as Jonathan should have figured. Everything had worked out, so he supposed it hadn't been all that real to him.

But now, after his son had come crawling through the window, all bruised and tired after days of being in captivity, he couldn't stop realizing all the implications of Jake's job. He maybe a dragon but he wasn't invincible or untouchable. His life was in danger every time he went on a mission, and he had never registered that.

"Son-in-law," Gramps greeted as he moved into the house with Fu-Dog, Haley and Jake's two best friends. "Where is Jake? Is he alright?"

"Uh, he's upstairs, resting. Susan's with him right now." He answered, still feeling a little out of it. He absentmindedly noted everyone else clearing the room, most likely to check on Jake.

"Did Jake explain what happened? Where was he this whole time?" His father-in-law pressed.

Jonathan responded as best as he could. "He said it was ogres. And… they were using those weapons you were looking for as some plan to overtake humankind and the magical world." He watched as the shorter man slumped at that, voice incredibly grim. "This is not bode well. I must go to the hideout and stop them now, while there's a chance we can stop them."

"Hey Gramps, don't you mean we have to go?" The two men turned back to see Jake standing at the entrance, looking much better but still clearly injured. The black eye was still visible and the marks on his wrists, while having lessened, were still clear for everyone to see. Jonathan could see everyone else huddled behind him, matching expressions of anxiety and defeat on their faces.

"Young dragon, I—" Gramps spoke up, looking regretful as he took in how bad the teen still looked. He interrupted him before he could finish. "It's fine, Gramps. They were ready for either of us. Trust me, I'd rather it be me than you. Now, are we heading out or what?"

His dad finally woke up once he realized exactly what was happening here. "Wait, wait, wait! You just came back after a three-day disappearance and you want to go rushing back there? Jake, you have to rest!"

"No, I have to do my job as the American Dragon and prevent the evil that's out there from disturbing the balance and safety of all magical creatures." Jake answered stubbornly.

"Jake, you can't. You're too injured, you still need to heal."

"No, what I need to do is go now with Gramps and stop those psychos from hurting and enslaving everyone. Besides, I'm the only one who knows exactly where they are hiding. It'll save us time searching."

"Jake, please, you have to—" But his son cut him off, looking more serious than Jonathan had ever remembered seeing him. "Dad, I get that this is hard for you, and maybe it's my fault for not explaining things right, but right now I have a job to do. So, please let me do it and then we can talk about it later, okay?"

Before he could answer, Jake turned to face his grandfather in an "end-of-discussion" kind of way. His dad could only blink after them as the two of them and their dog shuffled out of the house without looking back once.

…

It didn't take as long to come back this time around. And they came through the front door instead of the window. Come morning, when Jonathan finally woke up from his restless sleep, he could hear the entrance to the house opening and closing. He turned to see Susan was already out of bed, and leap out to see his son.

When he was halfway down the stairs, he was stopped short by the sound of his name. Realizing they were talking about him, he strained his ears and eavesdropped.

"Try to talk to him. It wasn't easy when you suddenly disappeared. I think he only just figured out your job has occupational hazards." He heard his wife say, followed by an audible sigh from his son. "I know. I didn't mean to dismiss his worries before, I just needed to stop the ogres first. Do you think dad will understand?"

"Young dragon, when you suggested we downplay exactly what your duty as the American Dragon entails for my son-in-law's benefit, I agreed because I know how hard it is to learn precisely what you will have to go through. You have had many close calls and traumatic experiences you've had to brush off in order to do what you must. Your father will never know about those or be there for you then, but if he is to be part of the secret, you must trust he will be able to handle the whole truth."

Following Gramps' opinion, there was silence for a few long moments. "I just… I don't want him to feel like he has to worry all the time or that one day I might not come back. He doesn't deserve that." He heard his son explain solemnly.

"Just trust your father, Jake. If you really worry about how he'll react to everything, explain that to him. Just don't leave him in the dark again. I know you want to protect him, but I think it would be better for both of you if you outline exactly what it means to be the American Dragon. Please."

There was another deafening silence that didn't sound like it would stop anytime soon. That's when Jonathan chose to finish his descent down the stairs. When he finally covered the last step, he could see the three of them in the living room, turning their heads to see who was coming down.

The first thing the man noted was that his son looked much better than he had when he had left. The second was that he looked much more anxious now that the job was done. Was all that because he was more worried about dealing with him?

"Hey, Jake-a-roni," he greeted evenly. Hs teenaged son shot a glance at his grandfather before he faced him again, seeming out of his depth. "Hey, dad. Listen, about yesterday —,"

"Did you finish the job? Were the ogres stopped?" Jonathan interrupted him to ask, voice and face serious. His son seemed to search him, looking for any indication of his emotional status at the moment and where answering the question would lead to.

"Yeah, we did. And all the weapons have been rounded up and stashed in Gramps' store."

"Good."And then he was hugging his son tightly to his chest. Jake seemed frozen for a moment, stunned beyond belief. And then he was hugging back, clinging to him with a strength he had never felt from his boy before.

"I'm glad you're okay. You really worried me." He said, never letting go of his son, especially when he felt him shaking against him. They still needed to talk, of course, as the full story needed to be told and soon. And they still needed to figure out where the line between his wellbeing and his duties should be.

But for now, Jonathan was content holding his son in his arms. He had come back and at that moment, that was all that mattered.

…

After that, there was a long talk where Jake explained exactly what he had been up to since he had gotten his dragon powers. His wife and father-in-law were also present, probably for moral support.

The full story of him and the Rose girl was also touched upon. How she was actually someone who had hunted and fought him without either of them knowing it was the other. How when she had found out, she had chosen to free him and later help to stop the destruction of all magical creatures. The wish she had made that would have sacrificed her, and the wish Jake had made so she would have a normal life and continue to live.

Things he felt Jonathan should know, like the effect sphinx hair has on him. The other evil creatures his son had gone up against. What each scar on his body represented in terms of his adventures.

And while some things weren't exactly easy to hear, Jonathan appreciated being fully aware of how dangerous and important the job Jake was given was. He had to give up any hope of a normal life in order to perform this duty, and Jonathan couldn't help the pride that filled his chest as he stared at his son in a whole new light.

Perhaps this wouldn't be the last time Jake would get hurt or have to put his own health before others, but that's what protectors generally did. And he could finally see that his son was one of the best protector the world could ever ask for.

…

 **What did you think? Personally, I felt like no one really explored how Jonathan would feel after being introduced to the magical world and the job Jake has to do, so I made this. Tell me what you think and if it was good or complete rubbish.**


End file.
